An interesting discussion thread going on at NetworkWorld Fusion. You may have to register first to follow this link-no biggie, it's free and painless and there is a lot of network info there.
Lou
nwfusion.com
Cisco and NDS - WHAT'S UP?
Tom Ferris - 03:06pm Jul 28, 1998 EST
The answer .... not much ... YET.
There has been a lot of hype in the press about the strategic partnership between Cisco Systems and Microsoft Corporation to build directory-enabled networking services. Cisco is currently developing Cisco Networking Services for Active Directory (CNS/AD) which "integrates knowledge of network services, policies, and user profiles so applications can easily interact with Active Directory and access powerful Cisco IOS software networking functionality". For more information see: www.cisco.com/warp/public/146/may98/7.html. It sounds like Cisco is doing some pretty neat stuff in the directory space (even though it is based on a technologically inferior directory service). But what good does it do my organization (or maybe your organization)? We've standardized on Novell Directory Services and are looking for ways to leverage our directory investment in the near term. If we move to Active Directory, it won't be until 2001. My thought is that if a group of Cisco customers, who have implemented NDS, would make their desires known to Cisco management then maybe the company would respond by offering solutions that leverage a directory that is solid, scaleable, and available today - and not just through LDAP v.3. For Cisco, this is a great opportunity to provide additional offerings to its existing customer base.
Click To top to read the thread from the beginning.
(80 previous messages)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edward Hartman - 02:02pm Sep 8, 1998 EST (#81 of 91)
It seems very attractive to partner with the biggest software company. Afterall, perhaps one could ride on Microsoft's coat tails for a time. However, Cisco is a successful comapny with a large market share and does not have the problem where they need the support of a company like Microsoft. It seems that Cisco is like other comapies; they partnered with MS on a promise.
History has shown that getting into bed with MS is like mating with a black widow spider. She'll take your life away. Just ask Stac and Symantec how their respective partnerships with MS ended up: MS got the mine and they got the shaft.
Cisco, being #1 at what they do, should partner with Novell, being #1 what they do. It makes perfect sense for Cisco to build or expand it's business on a solid foundation of NDS than on a wing and a prayer of MAD (Microsoft Active Dorectory).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Web Baumeister - 11:12am Sep 9, 1998 EST (#82 of 91)
Why doesn't Cisco support NDS? It seems funny that a company the size of Cisco couldn't support both active directory and NDS. You would think that two companies that have been around as long as they have would have a better relationship. I suppose it really doesn't matter though in this shop they're replacing our legacy Cisco and Novell products with 3com switches and Microsoft NT, even if they aren't as stable or cost effective. I spend most of my time baby sitting WINS on our current NT servers. I had to delete my WINS database and reboot my MS New Technology NetBios crap last week, some of my Novell and Cisco equipment has been up for 639 days without a single problem.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thomas Jackett - 12:10pm Sep 9, 1998 EST (#83 of 91)
Everyone is talking about Active Directory as if it were a shipping working product, I repeat working. I'm sure Microsoft will ship Active Directory before y2k, but it will not work until NT version 6 or never. I wish the industry would get over the promiseware from Microsoft and evulate and talk about products that will ship and work as promised !!!!!!!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dave Smit - 01:34pm Sep 9, 1998 EST (#84 of 91)
You would think that Cisco, with it's proven IOS technology, would want to integrate another proven technology (NDS).. We have approximately 300 facilities with a large NDS presence and no immediate plans to change to Active Directory. If other network vendors begin offering NDS integration it will make for some interesting decisions when purchasing future equipment. Remember Cisco, an overall solution is only as good as it's weakest link.. Seems to me that's a lot to risk betting on a technology that is not available or working yet!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chuck Wilson - 09:18pm Sep 9, 1998 EST (#85 of 91)
I, too, am amazed at Cisco's current direction with DEN. I am an avid Cisco fan, will be CCIE soon. I am also a NW4 CNE. We purchased over $1 million in Cisco hardware in the past 12 months and we are days away from a big upgrade deal with Novell. For my money, these are the top vendors in the industry. I gave Mr. Gates a fair chance... But his products are too cumbersome to manage and are too buggy for us
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Big Goob - 10:47pm Sep 9, 1998 EST (#86 of 91)
Our existing setup is 12 Novell and 5 NT w/ Cisco equipment. The only reason NT is there is due to software that can't run on Novell and DHCP/RAS. Our NDS is far more stable than a product that doesn't exist yet. We are deploying an e-commerce product that will run UNIX core and 3 or 4 dozen Cisco routers and firewalls. You can bet your budget that the only support equipment will be Novell and the only working DS - NDS! When you need to depend on your network you build a stable enviornment - and NT isn't it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stellan Ellingsen - 06:54am Sep 10, 1998 EST (#87 of 91)
I fully agree, but the other communication equipment providers aren't crying out their support for NDS either. Hopefully something gonna happen soon. I have a feeling that people has discovered that NDS along with ZEN Works 1.1 and NDS for NT 2.0, today have the desktop management functionality promised in NT 5.0. These facts will probably give Novell a stronger position on the market and at the end put extra pressure on providers like Cisco to support NDS.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeff Cunningham - 09:26am Sep 10, 1998 EST (#88 of 91)
To all who are interested:
Lucent is going to be making headway in the data communications market over the next few years. Why not initiate a campaign to get Lucent to develop to NDS? For Lucent it would be a great way to start getting its foot in the door of all the organizations currently using NetWare and NDS. If someone has a contact at Lucent, please post it on this forum.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Neil Forster - 09:44pm Sep 10, 1998 EST (#89 of 91)
Like Jeff's comment on Lucent, the new Nortel/Bay combination will provide some interesting directions. It would also be worth while to get their view.
If you have a Cisco contact, provide them this Forum's address and get their feedback as well.
Unfortunatly we appear to be all agreeing on a technical level, and it would seem, though surely not !, that the decisions have been made without this (or customers) input. That the views of Microsoft and their "proposed" futures and marketing focus have won the day over NDS.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Albert Schindler - 10:24am Sep 11, 1998 EST (#90 of 91)
I tried to get from cisco the answers to the following questions but in vain. Would one of you have a clue ?
(1) at which level of management can such a decision (to ignore NDS) be taken ? (2) on which technical grounds ? (3) is there still somebody in power at cisco's sometimes listening the customers ?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Samuel Schneider - 12:21pm Sep 11, 1998 EST (#91 of 91)
We are a good sized Cisco, Netware, NT Shop. All of our network mgmt is leveraged through NDS. All existing and acquired NT Domains are being ported to NDS thru NDS4NT. I am sorely disappointed by Cisco's position to ignore a successful and mature directory service in favor of "vaporware". Cisco's failure to position on NDS will impact many of their customers future upgrade/purchase decisions.
|
